Hi,
How are you doing? It's been a busy but enjoyable day! As my 4-year-old daughter is getting ready for her bath, it came to my mind that we could make use of some real advice from real Moms. I promise I won't overstress the mothering side here but this is an important part of me. ;-)
Bedtime/Evening Routines
Angela, mother of two – ages 4 and 1
“Our routine has changed a little over the past year as we added our second child and as our oldest gave up nap time. Even with the small changes, we’ve kept our routine pretty simple and very consistent – bath, books, bed. We have found that having a familiar routine has not only helped avoid night-time melt downs, but it also provides some familiarity when we travel or are away from home. It’s some thing we can take with us almost any where we go.
Not only has this familiar routine helped keep bedtime simple (and drama free), but it’s often one of the best parts of our day. One of our best traditions is probably our family hug followed by “kisses all around”. I don’t know what the kids will remember when they grow up, but this has become a very special family time for me.”
Mandi, mother of four – ages 5, 3, 2, and a new baby
Each step only takes a minute, but it has a much larger impact on our morning routine! Getting ready the night before is not always easy. A lot of times, I don’t really feel like spending extra time on things that don’t seem to matter at that moment, but when I skip this routine, I always end up regretting it in the morning.”
(source: http://simplekids.net/real-routines/)